ARCHI TIMES

WORLD NEWS OF ARCHITECTURE

ARCHI TIMES PUBLISHED BY THE PROFESSIONALS FOR THE PROFESSIONALS

INSIDE This Issue

HERITAGE WALK Photography Competition: Rich Architectural Heritage

CONFERENCE Conference on Regional Challenges & Sustainable Solution

Vol. 34, No. 11 ISSN No. 2073-9001

November 2018 News and Commentary of the Profession....

www.architimesonline.com www.archpresspk.com

HOW BILL GATES AIMS TO SAVE $233 BILLION BY REINVENTING THE TOILET

ARCHITECTURE World Architecture Day Celebrated in Islamabad

SHAUKAT NAWAZ RAJA

BY JASON GALE

AQEEL AHMED TALKING ENGINEERING

Bill Gates thinks toilets are a serious business, and he’s betting big that a reinvention of this most essential of conveniences can save a half million lives and deliver $200 billion-plus in savings. The billionaire philanthropist, whose Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation spent $200 million over seven years funding sanitation research, showcased some 20 novel toilet and sludgeprocessing designs that eliminate harmful pathogens and convert bodily waste into clean water and fertilizer. “The technologies you’ll see here are the most significant advances in sanitation in nearly 200 years,” Gates, 63,

told the Reinvented Toilet Expo in Beijing. Holding a beaker of human excreta that, Gates said, contained as many as 200 trillion rotavirus cells, 20 billion Shigella bacteria, and 100,000 parasitic worm eggs, the Microsoft Corp. co-founder explained to a 400-strong crowd that new approaches for sterilizing human waste may help end almost 500,000 infant deaths and save $233 billion annually in costs linked to diarrhea, cholera and other diseases caused by poor water, sanitation and hygiene. One approach from the California Institute of Technology that Gates said he finds “super interesting”

integrates an electrochemical reactor to break down water and human waste into fertilizer and hydrogen, which can be stored in hydrogen fuel cells as energy. ‘Substantial Market’ Without cost-effective alternatives to sewers and wastetreatment facilities, urbanization and population growth will add to the burden. In some cities, more than half the volume of human waste escapes into the environment untreated. Every dollar invested in sanitation yields about $5.50 in global economic returns, according to the World Health Organization. “Human waste that is properly handled can be a very economically attractive investment

due to the health benefits,” said Guy Hutton, a senior adviser for water, sanitation and hygiene with Unicef in New York, in an interview. “Given the unmet need of 2.3 billion people still without basic sanitation, there is a potentially very substantial market and economic gain to be had.” The reinvented toilet market, which has attracted companies including Japan’s LIXIL Group, could generate $6 billion a year worldwide by 2030, according to Gates. ‘Golden Opportunity’ “Innovative companies have a golden opportunity to do well by doing good,” LIXIL President Kinya Seto said in a statement.

Continued on Page # 5

ARCHI TIMES NOVEMBER 2018

NEWS

BUYERS MUST PAY 20PC UPFRONT TO JOIN PM HOUSING SCHEME BY SYED IRFAN RAZA After making widespread publicity for Prime Minister Imran Khan`s ambitious Naya Pakistan Housing Programme (NPHP), the government revealed that applicants will have to bear 20 per cent of the total cost of their dream house as down payment. Èvery person has to pay 20pc of the cost of the house. The remaining 80pc will be undertaken by the government,` said ruling Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf (PTI) leader Syed Firdous Shamim Naqvi at a joint press conference with Task Force on Housing chairman Zaigham Rizvi and Punjab Minister for Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering Mehmood ur Rashid. It is for the first time the government revealed that applicants will have to pay 20pc of the total cost as down payment. No such announcement had been made by any government quarter since the programme was unveiled by the prime minister soon after taking office. Ìf the cost of the lowest category house/apartment is Rs3 million, the applicant will have to pay Rs600,000 as down payment,`

COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS’ SURVEY Following Supreme Court`s orders for devising a comprehensive, viable and longterm new commercialisation policy for Lahore division, keeping in view the present-day and future requirements, the Lahore Development Authority and the Punjab Urban Unit jointly started a survey of multi-storey commercial buildings in the city. The teams, led by LDA Chief Town Planner Syed Nadeem Akhtar Zaidi, inspected hospitals along the Jail Road and commercial buildings on Main Boulevard, Gulberg to review the enforcement of the building byelaws, commercialisation of plots, parking provisions, safety standards, implementation of environmental laws, as well as other relevant regulations by the owners of these buildings. `The survey staff visited the Omer Hospital and Midcity Hospital on the Jail Road, Rabi Centre on Main Boulevard, Gulberg and an under construction building -Mall 57 -in Gulberg area, reads a press release. Meanwhile, the LDA administration has directed all the directors to compile lists of residential, commercial,vacant and encroached upon plots in their respective schemes. It sought finalisation of these lists within one week so that a comprehensive policy could be formulated for the utility of these plots. `You should also make inventory of vacant public utility, school and health facility sites which had been allotted long time ago but are still vacant and purposeful buildings had not been constructed on the sites despite lapes of many years,` LDA ADG Rana Abdul Shakoor said in a meeting. He directed the officers of law directorate to acquire comprehensive information on the issue.

said Mr Naqvi. A senior oﬃcial of the housing ministry, who did not want to be named, told that 20pc cost of the house would be shared by the applicants. The remaining will be paid by the banks. Mr Naqvi said that under the NPHP, 5m houses would be constructed which means a million houses every year. `According to a survey, 300,000 to 350,000 houses are being built every year in the country and we have to increase that number to 1m,` he said. Mr Naqvi said the NPHP was based on the mortgage housing system, under which the owner of the house would return the entire cost in 20 years. He said the government had prepared a

comprehensive strategy for accomplishing the goal, adding that the government would provide people their own shelter, helping them get rid of rental expenses. He said that under the programme, new housing authorities would be established in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan. `We know that housing is a provincial subject, but the Centre and the provincial governments will work together for the success of the programme. Answering a question about the return of mortgage money, he said housing finance was considered the safest form of loans all over the world. Zaigham Rizvi said former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and

Yousuf Raza Gilani had also announced housing schemes during their governments, but their level of commitment could be assessed by the fact that they did not convene even a single meeting on the issue. `On the other hand, Prime Minister Imran Khan has presided over 10 meetings on the housing programme in 60 days,` he added. Responding to a question, he said that the media should not spread disappointing ideas that the 5m housing programme cannot become a successful endeavour, adding that India had already launched such a plan and it was going well. He said not only in urban centres but houses would also be constructed in rural areas. In reply to a question, he said the government would also give

some relaxation in taxes to the applicants so that they could pay the instalment of their houses more easily. Speaking on the occasion, provincial minister Mehmood ur Rashid said that in the ﬁrst phase in Punjab, the project would be implemented in Sialkot, Faisalabad, Lodhran, Chiniot, Bahawalnagar and Jhelum districts as well as Muzaffarabad in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. `Prime Minister Imran Khan will inaugurate the ﬁrst phase of the programme on Jan 1, 2019,` he added. He said land was available for the project and private developers were taking a lot of interest in the scheme. Mr Rashid said the financial model of the project was currently being prepared.

ARCHI TIMES NOVEMBER 2018

NEWS

HOW BILL GATES AIMS TO SAVE $233 BILLION BY REINVENTING THE TOILET

Continued from Page # 1

“We can help jump-start a new era of safe sanitation for the 21st century by developing solutions that can leapfrog today’s existing infrastructure, functioning anywhere and everywhere.” Companies displaying their sanitation technologies included China’s Clear, CRRC Corp. and EcoSan; Sedron Technologies LLC from the U.S.; SCG Chemicals, a unit of Thailand’s Siam Cement Pcl; and India’s Eram Scientific Solutions Pvt, Ankur Scientific Energy Technologies Pvt, and Tide Technocrats Pvt, the Gates Foundation said in an emailed statement. The initial demand for the reinvented toilet will be in places like schools, apartment buildings, and community bathroom facilities. As adoption of these multi-unit toilets increases, and costs decline, a new category of reinvented household toilets will become available, the Gates Foundation said. “Our goal is to be at 5 cents a day of cost,” Gates said in a telephone interview before the exhibition. Small-scale waste treatment plants, called omniprocessors, may be suited for uses beyond human waste management -- such as for managing eﬄuent from intensive livestock production -- because of its low marginal running costs relative to the value of the fertilizer and clean water it produces, he said. “The value of those outputs exceeds the operating cost,” Gates said. “So you’ll actually be looking for sources of biomass that keep it fully busy.” Gates, who with wife Melinda has given more than $35.8 billion to the foundation since 1994, said he became interested in sanitation about a decade ago after he stopped working full time at Microsoft. “I never imagined that I’d know so much about poop,” Gates said in remarks prepared for the Beijing event. “And I definitely never thought that Melinda would have to tell me to stop talking about toilets and fecal sludge at the dinner table.” - Bloomberg

ARCHI TIMES NOVEMBER 2018

PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION

THE HERITAGE WALK

BY: AR ABDULLAH MANSOOR PHOTOS BY: MAKE IT PRODUCTIONS

Rawalpindi is a city with quite an unknown and undiscovered territory in terms of the cultural Rich Heritage in its Architecture and street environment. In search of its discovery and an opportunity to learn from and about the past, IAP-RIC as a photography competition organized "The Heritage Walk" for the students of three architecture schools of Rawalpindi-Islamabad Region. The students being from the schools of NCA, SADA-NUST and

COMSATS were provided on with an opportunity to interact not only amongst them but also with the architects in practice and the residents/users of the old city. As a part of the competition, 5 best photographs were asked to submit by the students of their own understanding of the experiences they encountered in order to compete for prize money worth Rupees Twenty Five thousand for the best photograph, Rupees Fifteen thousand for the 1st runner up and Rupees Ten thousand for the second runner up. To make the competition more authentic

the jury panel included both architects and professional photographers to judge 133 pictures submitted by 28 students. The honorable jurors to judge the competition included photographer Ibrahim Zauq, photographer Sher Ali, Ar. Ukkasha Nouman, Ar. Nimra Qazi and Ar. Rabia Atif Rehman. The entire experience was deemed successful by the IAP-RIC organizing team and the enthusiasts of the walk who participated and created some amazing results as a product of the walk in the form of photographs.

SHAUKAT NAWAZ RAJA PASSED AWAY Renowned Pakistani Architect Shaukat Nawaz Raja, principal architect of SNR Associates and the former president of the Institute of Architect Pakistan (IAP) passed away on Tuesday 13, 2018. Nawaz Raja was born in 1948. He was 70 years old. After coming back from Paris, he joined PEPAC as Principal Architect for two years and then became a partner with RIST Consultants. Where he won competition after competition, notably, Library Block Command & Staff College, Quetta, National Academy Islamabad, Services Headquarters Complex Islamabad, Armed Forces Mess Rawalpindi, PIA planetarium Lahore etc. his best project is Armed Forces Medical City where we stood second. This is because he brought together the expertise of all previous offices together, Boyer, Schneider, PAPAC and RIST. In 1988, he set up his own firm and executed several outstanding architectural projects. “His theory of simplicity and usage of material in its original form with all its inheritance and quality was his distinction. His works can be truly regarded as an emblem of simplicity enveloped in a powerful aesthetic flavour and purity of forms. His chosen style of modernism was reflected very visibly in many a building that he designed in his illustrious career. The Sheikh Zayed Medical Complex, Quetta, Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, Eden Heights and PIA Planetarium are only a few of the long trail of design works that he left behind as his living legacy. Shaukat Raja Interview on Pg.15

While much has been written about his style, approach and works. The younger generation of our architects can derive enormous inspiration from the approach adopted by Shaukat Nawaz Raja in his distinguished career as a practising architect in this part of the world.

ARCHI TIMES NOVEMBER 2018

IAPEX

IAPEX-PC CONFERENCE ON REGIONAL CHALLENGES & SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION

BY. AR. MARWAT KHAN First Day Institute of Architects Pakistan Peshawar Chapter (IAP-PC) organized a mega event in Peshawar on 8th to 10th of October 2018. More than 30 stalls of construction materials were exhibited, where diﬀerent people from all walk of life visited there and took keen interest in the stalls. On 8 October, an inauguration ceremony was held. Institute of Architects Pakistan Peshawar Chapter (IAP-PC) has the culture to arrange IAPex (Material Exhibition) and Conference every year in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This year three days IAPex and Conference on Regional Challenges and their sustainable solution arranged in Peshawar Services Club. Scholars presented their papers on Regional Challenges and their Sustainable Solution. Three Scholars named, Dr. Zenynep Gul Unal, Dr. Birgul Colakoglu, Ar. Adil Umit Sirdas had come from Turkey and Ar. Deepak Pant from Nepal to deliver speeches and present their papers on the said topics. Finance Minister, Mr. Taimur Saleem Khan Jahgra was the Chief Guest of the 1st day. Chairman of Institute of Architects Pakistan Peshawar Chapter welcomed the guests and highlighted the challenges faced to Architects in KP. President of IAP Ar. Ali Zafar Qazi was also present on this occasion. Ar. Mansoor Khan also welcomed the foreigners' guests who had come from Turkey and Nepal. On this occasion Finance Minister, Mr. Taimur Khan Jahgra, said that arranging a mega event is a great achievement. He requested Architects of KP to help the KP Government in low cost housing sector and other developmental projects. Second Day Ar. Tahir Khattak invited Ar. Mir Wali Shah to the stage for welcome address. He introduced the speakers to the audience and welcomed the foreign guests to the conference. The first

speaker of the conference was Dr. Zeynep Gul Unal from Turkey. Ar. Mir Wali Shah introduced her to the participants and then invited her to the stage for presentation. Her topic was on "Contribution of Heritage Recovery after the Disaster". She introduced ICOMOS and ICORP (International Scientific Committee on Risk Preparedness) and their function for the society. She also talked about the Marmara earthquake of Turkey where 17000 people were killed and 32000 were injured and said that what they learned from that. She told that many heritage buildings were damaged with that earthquake which were repaired or reconstructed by the help of UNESCO. She said that our heritage is endangered due to earthquake, wars, floods etc. She give the example of Nepal, Pakistan, Syria, Iraq and intangible culture and heritage was destroyed by the earthquakes and wars. She said that ICOMOS & ICORP are working for the sustainable development and restoration of Heritage buildings. She mentioned that sustainable development has four pillars i.e. social, environment, Economy and Culture. She also described 10 essential for making cities resilience in detail. She talked about the monitoring indicators for world heritage sites of ICOMOS. She took the Assisi earthquake as a case study where Basilica of St. Francis was damage and then how the specialists of conservation repaired it. She said that UNESCO has framed disaster management strategies and guide line for risk management with the collaborationof experts. She mentioned that there are many phases have been prepared, during the disaster, before the disaster and after the disaster. She quoted the quotation of Alexander-Dumas where he said "Life is storm my young friend you will bask in the sunlight one moment, be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes". She showed videos of Assisi earthquake and Nepal earthquake in

the conference. After that, questions & answer session was held. The 3rd presentor was Ar. Mansoor Khan, Chairman IAP-PC. His topic was "Architecture in PakistanVision 2025". He gave a detail presentation on Pakistani Architecture from historical Architecture of Mehrgarh to contemporary Architecture. He prese-nted 17 sustainable development goals in his presentation. He talked about the key enables National Architecture policy, recognition of the profession, establishment of Architecture department, empowerment of Architects, about the coherence of bylaws and regulation, bridge academia & practice. He said that in the previous government we had a close relations and interaction. The former CM Mr. Pervez Khattak made a National Working Group to help him and discuss with him the developmental project of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to make them sustainable and outcome based. The National Working Group also informed the CM about the challenges faced by the Architects of KP. The CM responded very well and due to his instruction the local government announced many posts for Architects in TMA at District Level. Mr. Mansoor Khan also made some suggestions for PCATP strengthening e.g. * PCATP should have a policy unit * PCATP should have an accreditation section * PCATP should have a registration section * PCATP should have a procurement section * CPD * Bye-laws & Regulation section & building code section He also requested the new government to implement the recommendations and actions of previous Government i.e. Antiquities Act 2016 and making Advisory Council for helping the CM in developmental projects. Minister Local government Mr. Shehram Khan Tarakay has welcomed

all the foreign speakers. He said that leader gives vision and Architect converts that vision into reality. He informed the audience that he had already issued instructions to the PDA officials to make a council of such people who had vision and had experience in their concern ﬁelds. He shared the memory of the 8th October 2008 earthquake with audience and said that it was a great tragedy and disaster for nation. He said that although it was a disaster but we had learnt a lot from that. He mentioned that they have planned for Peshawar to improve its infrastructure and to change the face of capital. He said that they have also plan for tourism and heritage. He said that economical condition of the province is not good, however that the people have trust on us and gave us vote therefore we will try to do hard work and improve the things. He told that agriculture land and green pitches are converting into towns which are a disaster itself. Design Excellency is not considered and haphazard Construction is going on. He said that they are going to make a master plan for Peshawar City and then it will be extended to the other district of the province. He also said in his speech that Academic Institutions may be involved in competitions for designing of diﬀerent elements for Urban Areas. Youth may be encouraged to participate in the activities for better future. Ar. Jan e Alam remembered him about the old maps of structure plan for Peshawar. He responded that he knew about those old maps. He said that it will be dug out and will be tried and use it for implementation. Ar. Kamran Khan Masud spoke about the pollution created by the industries of Hayatabad Industrial State. Ar. Shaukat Sharar gave presentation on the Heritage and Infrastructure of Malakand Division. He talked about the wood Architecture of Swat and Chitral. He said that Malakand division is the best place for Tourism.

Ar. Shabir Ullah Quareshi from UET Abbottabad Campus, talked about Sustainable Architecture of Peshawar City. He said that Peshawar was a beautiful city where Bara River was passing through the center of the city and there were shady trees. He presented the beautiful face of the city in front of audience and said that it may be revived through sustainable design again. Ar. Muhammad Khalid presented his paper on revitalization of historic areas. He talked about the monuments and sites of Peshawar City. He said that preservation and conservation is a sensitive issue and must be done very carefully. He criticized the renovation of Bazar-e-Kalan and Mohalla Sethian as it done without the proper planning and guidelines. The key note speaker for this session was Ar. Adil Umit Sirdas from Turkey. His topic was on Sustainable Development and Planning in Historical sites. Ar. Adil Umit Sirdas is an expert in project management and construction management and talked about that field. He explained how ﬁnances will be calculated when doing a project. He gave a detail presentation on contractor roles and sub-contractor roles and site management. Ar. Iftikhar Ali from Hazara University gave his presentation on "Old Buildings Need Breath". Ar. Muhammad Khalid Chauhan, presentation on Haram Gate Conservation Multan. He described all the process done for the conservation of Haram Gate Multan. That project was completed with the help of International experts' collaboration. Ar. Asad Ali Khan Chairman PCATP was the chief guest for that session. He concluded the session with his speech and distributed the shields among the speakers. Third Day - Session I The third day first session Chief Guest was Ar. Ali Zafar Qazi. The ﬁrst key note speaker Dr. Birgul Colakoglu

ARCHI TIMES NOVEMBER 2018

IAPEX

was introduce by Ar. Muhammad Tahir Khattak and also welcomed other guests and participants. The topic of Dr. Birgul Colakoglu was "Transformation of Architecture practice & Education: Computational Challenges". She explained all the new technology and softwares which are used in today architecture design. She said that design soft wares have its own culture and knowledge. Students should gain a complete knowledge and hand to practice of that knowledge. Incomplete learning will not give them beneďŹ t. Computer is only a media and tool for designing. Students should understand and learn designing through sketches and practice. Her presentation was very informative and in detail. Second presenter was Dr. Ubaid Ullah from UET Abbottabad Campus. His topic was on Health Care Architecture. He presented how a sustainable Hospital may be and how it will be more functional and comfortable for patients and staff. On this ocassion, Ar. Rizwan Azeem talked about Architecture and Experiences. Ar. Muhammad Tariq and Ar. Marwat Khan presented their paper on "Redefining various elements in Architecture". They talked about the pollution in cities and suggested a mechanical methods for controlling that pollution. Ar. Muhammad Tariq said that we are constructing a large number of monuments in cities where we spend a lot of money on it. If we install an electronics devices in that monuments through which the small particles in air may be sucked and minimize the pollution in the air. All the monuments may be converted into the Pollution control tower. On this occasion key note speaker Deepak Pant from Nepal his topic was "The role of Universities in Post disaster sustainable reconstruction process." He talked about the earth quake of Nepal. He presented many documentaries on that tragedy. He thanked Pakistan Government and Pakistani people for helping at that time. He talked about the pre-cautions during the disaster after the disaster and before the disasters. He give an informative presentation on the role of universities in reconstruction process after a disaster. The last presenter for this session was Ar. Shaukat Ali. His topic was "Energy Efficient Architecture in Pakistan". On this ocassion shield were distributed among the presenters by Chief Guest. Closing Ceremony The closing ceremony of conference, Chief Guest was Mr. Akbar Ayub Khan, Minister for C&W, KP. The guest of honor for this programme was senator Noman Wazir. On this ocassion the Chairman of IAP-PC, Ar. Mansoor Ahmad Khan welcomed the guests and thanked to all the participants and materials exhibitors. He put the following demands in front of the chief guest and guest of honor. * Notify Design advisory council by Chief Minister * Appoint Chief Architect in C&W department * Define service structure for Architects * Include Architects definition and Architectural services in KPPRA rules * Insure implementation of Antiquities act of 2016 * Plot for IAP house in Regilalma Town or Hayatabad * Speed up process of appointment of 30 Architects in local government department for BCA at district level * Persue Federal government for National Architecture Policy Honorable Senator Mr. Noman Wazir, pointed out the challenges faced by Pakistan. He said that the condition of Pakistan is not good and

disappointed but it is hoped that the new generation will struggle to control the situation and resolve the issues. He said that the demands of IAP are genuine and should be solved on priority bases. He said that government should issue a plot to IAPPC for their office Building in Peshawar. Minister for C & W, Mr. Akbar Ayub Khan welcomed the foreign guests and appreciated their struggle for the betterment of society and region. He described all the demands of IAP-PC one by one and assured IAP that he will try the best to tackle it with the Government. He assured that Chief Architect may be appointed

within three months of this year. He said that he will try to arrange a meeting of the Architects with Chief Minister as soon as possible. He was very optimistic that majority of the issue will be solved in PTI Government, because PM Imran Khan is fit to put out this country from darkness with the grace of Allah and help of people. He said that even the condition of the country is deteriorated but they should not be disappointed and In sha Allah the condition will be better with the passage of time. Ar. ZulďŹ qar Ali presented the vote of thanks to all the guests and participants.

ARCHI TIMES NOVEMBER 2018

ARCHITECTURE

WORLD ARCHITECTURE DAY CELEBRATED IN ISLAMABAD

BY: AR. RANA ATIF REHMAN, AIAP PHOTOGRAPHS: MAKE IT PRODUCTION

Each year on October 1, the architecture community all around the globe celebrates the ‘World Architecture Day’. This day was first established by the International Union of Architects (UIA) in 2005 with the objective to raise both awareness regarding the profession and how architecture has played an eminent and responsible role in the molding of various human habitats. This day is well celebrated through events, exhibition, lectures and social gatherings. For the ﬁrst time in Pakistan, this day was celebrated in Pakistan in all four chapters of the Institute of Architects Pakistan. Under the patronage of the Chairman IAP-RIC Ar Kabeer

Malik, the Rawalpindi/Islamabad Chapter hosted three activities on this day which included ArchiTalks No. 4 by senior prominent Architect Yasmeen Lari, Heritage Walk Photography book launch and dinner to the graduates of NUST and COMSATS batch 2018. Ar Nimra Qazi (Honorary Secretary IAP-RIC) was the master of this ceremony.

The event started with the thesis presentations given by young graduate A r. M ans oor Awais (COMSATS) and Ar. Maheen Talat (NUST). The idea behind it was the given the best students the opportunity to bring forward their top-notch work in front of a live audience of both academician and professional architect and boost

their morals right after graduation. This was followed by the speech of the President IAP Ar Ali Zafar Qazi who have come all the way from Lahore to exclusive attend this function. The president highlighted the role of Architects in the community and his recent highlevel meetings with the Prime Minister’s cabinet on the

ongoing housing and community building projects. The next presentation was given by Ar S.M. Jahangir Khan Sherpao, President Arcasia. He briefed the audience with all the eﬀort he had put in the last two years which included both local and international events of organizing and hosting of seminars, lectures, teacher training workshops, student

ARCHI TIMES NOVEMBER 2018

ARCHITECTURE

life. Her presentations included the vast collection of historical images of climate responsive designed buildings in different part of Pakistan. She also emphasized how beneficial the local wisdom is when working with local artisans who have used some of the simplest techniques to make very low-cost houses that are environment-friendly and nearly zero carbon emission in nature. Ar Yameen showed the audience with some of the ﬁnest vernacular architecture portfolios she did in areas like D.I.Khan, workshop, competitions, student exchange programs etc. During his tour around the world, he was also recognized by various international architectural organizations. He has been a good will Ambassador representing Pakistan across the world and has received the RIBA Presidential Medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects, an Honorary membership and an AIA Presidential Gold Medal from the American Institute of Architects, An honorary membership from the Australian Institute of Architects as well as recognition award from IAP Institute of Architects Pakistan in 2017-18 to name a few. It is because of his time and efforts, many international architects have visited Pakistan and seen the humble and generosity of our community. Not only that, but they have also experienced the culture and architectural heritages in prominent historical cities and taken back very positive memories of Pakistan. Following this came the muchawaited presentation and talk by the recently awarded SI HI Fukuoka Prize Laureate Ar Yasmeen Lari (Fellow IAP). A good number of over 140 young and senior architects had gathered to hear out Ar Yasmeen’s extraordinary philanthropic work that she had been doing all her

Tharparkar and Interior Sindh. Reaching the climax of the World Architecture Day event, the Honorary Treasurer Ar Abdullah Mansoor launched the compilation of the Heritage Walk Photography submission in the form of a book titled ‘Heritage Walk – Window to the Past’. This is the very ﬁrst publication done by Institute of Architect Pakistan – Rawalpindi/Islamabad Chapter’ and it will be distributed free to all of its chapters members. The book was a continuation of the event Heritage Walk held in the old part

of historical Rawalpindi where students from NCA, SADA, and COMSATS along with professional architects were asked to take a tour and capture the heritage essence. The publication includes work of 28 participants with a total of 110 entries. The very ﬁrst set of copies was presented to President IAP Ar Ali Zafar Qazi (AIAP), President Arcasia Ar S.M.Jahangir Khan Sherpao (FIAP) and Ar Yasmeen Lari (FIAP). Later all the young and senior architects were given a free copy of the book.

ARCHI TIMES NOVEMBER 2018

COMMENTRY

Please send us letters and your feedback to the Editor: architimes@gmail.com

LETTERS

Karachi: mass transit

WHEN WILL ARCHITECTS & OFFICIAL FORUMS START TAKING A STAND? The federal government`s supplementary budget and the Sindh government`s nine-month budget have been announced. There is no discernible mention of mass transit for Karachi. The important point is that what is at stake is not just how much money we can afford to move the people in a given city. We need to consider the cost of not planning a mass transit project for a city of the size of Karachi. Sooner or later this city will have to have a mass transit system. The more we delay, the costlier it will become. Had a project been undertaken some 20 to 30 years ago, it would have been much cheaper. Once a substantial portion of transport is shif ted from individual vehicle operators to a mass transit system, there will be

substantial saving of fuel. Once the fuel consumption is reduced so will be the air pollution. Once we have cleaner air, we will have fewer respiratory and related illnesses. Can we aﬀord not to do that? For many families af fording cars is not a legitimate option. Commuters operating their cars are of ten stuck in traf fic for hours. This is unbearable and is obvious cause of mental stress. What is a short-term solution? Let us use the under-utilised Lyari expressway for multicar buses starting from the toll plaza to the end of expressway, using both up and down tracks. We will need to build about a dozen stops. Railway tracks are already available from Keamari to Landhi. We can run commuter trains frequently (every five minutes) during rush hours and with longer intervals (30 minutes) during non-rush hours. The timetable for

intercity trains may have to be adjusted but that should not be impossible. Most of the cargo trains may be operated with similar time adjustments. The stops on the Lyari expressway and on the commuter railroad can be linked by express buses running along major east-west arteries such as Jinnah Avenue, Rashid Minhas Road, Shaheed-i-Millat Road, Shahrah-i-Quaideen, and Garden Road/Haji Abdullah Haroon Road. Once the circular railway is restored, this system can be connected to it making sure that each stop has a bus link for onward journey. The long term solution includes underground and light rail systems covering the growing needs of the city. Arif Kazmi Karachi

Illegal footpath

Once again, without having Historians, Urban Planners and Heritage Consultants on board for the larger plan, today the government officials have taken the decision to start another mission of sand blast cleaning on stone materials on the heritage monument. This is vandalism, and insensitive. Who are the people who are working on the building, are they just per day dhehari labour who probably have never worked on heritage buildings, were they given workshops how to deal with heritage ? Is there a committee which knows and has a plan what restoration will look like ? Did they even document the building before this brutal 'preservation'. The question of minimal damage to historic fabric is so critical. Do they have internal and external report on the building which will help in developing Preservation Strategy? I guess this is really a beautiﬁcation plan. Cleaning an old building is not always bad, but the methods used can be disastrous. Sandblasting is a particularly destructive process and has long been an ongoing discussion for people who are concerned with the preservation of old buildings. Studying precedents from South Asia so many projects have been denied approval because they used sandblasting or other destructive techniques that damaged historic buildings. When will architects and oﬃcial forums start taking a stand? - Marvi Mazhar

ARCHI TIMES

ARCHI TIMES is the ﬁrst and the only Architectural Publication in Pakistan publish by ARCH PRESS. The prime objective of ARCHI TIMES is to promote and propagate the message of architects and architecture for public good.

ARCHI TIMES is circulated to architects, planners, interior designers, engineers, surveyors, builders and developers, contractors & to senior management personnel in building, civil engineering, public works design and construction and government departments. It is also circulated internationally to international funding agencies and libraries.

It is shocking to see the relevant authorities constructing a footpath on Sharea Faisal on the stretch between airport and Star Gate, thereby illegallygiving legal cover to the already encroached upon one lane and service road. In fact, two kilometres long service road and a part of Sharea Faisal between Wireless Gate and Star Gate have been encroached upon by auto mechanics and other commercial concerns for the last two decades. The encroachments are preserved by erecting iron grill along the main Sharea Faisal. While the encroached area of

service road is used by mechanics, the lef t lane of main road is now permanently used as parking lot for white cabs and mechanics. Sharea Faisal has virtually been reduced to two lanes at this busy section which is the entry and exit point for Karachi airport. This situation not only causes severe traf ﬁc jams at this point, but also paints an ugly picture of Karachi when a visitor come out of airport and starts moving towards city. Now this footpath is being constructed on a war footing on the remaining lef t lane of Sharea Faisal. This will not only further reduce the

main road but will actually detach the above mentioned encroachments from main road, downplaying the encroachment issue. Therefore, construction of this footpath is not only an illegal act by government agencies but also connivance on their part to provide cover to the encroachers on permanent basis. Surely, the new footpath will also be encroached upon in coming times in the form of makeshift shops and stalls as is happening everywhere in Karachi. Raihan A. K. Lodhi Karachi

Unemployed engineers This refers to the serious issue of unemployment of engineers, which is getting worse every day. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, once thought of as the job factory for engineers, has disappointed many as the number of Pakistani engineers in the projects is

negligible. Policies set by the government and Pakistan Engineering Council make it impossible for local engineers to get hired by Chinese companies. These construction companies only hire highly experienced engineers and not fresh graduates. Recently, an

engineer from NED university was caught by the police in a ransom case. I request the prime minister to pay heed to this issue, as his f ather was also an engineer. Naveedullah Khan Kakki Bannu

SUBSCRIPTION FORM

EDITORIAL

I want to subscribe ARCHI TIMES. Please send me a subscription for_______ year(s). Start/Renewal with _____________ issue.

EDITOR Arch. Mujtaba Hussain

Annual Subscription Rates Rs. 4000/=, Overseas Subscription Rates US$ 250.00 Subscription Rates for Students Rs 3000/= (Institute's ID. Card must be attached with the form)

FOUNDERS K. Susan & Arch. Akhlaq Hussain

MANAGING EDITOR Arch. Murtuza Shikoh FEATURES EDITORS Arch. Suneela Ahmed (Karachi) Arch. Iqra Wazir (Karachi) Arch. Beenish Tariq (Islamabad) INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT Arch. Apurva Bose Dutta GRAPHIC DESIGNER Umair Ahmed MANAGER CIRCULATION Saleha Ali

MARKETING/ADVERTISING RURALZ Inc. For query: Ruralz.Inc@gmail.com Mob: +92 303 2001888 The views and ideas expressed in this magazine by third parties are not necessarily those held by the publisher. The editor reserves the right to edit and abridge articles for publication.

NAME JOB TITLE

COMPANY

ADDRESS PHONE

Cell No.

EMAIL Enclosed is a cheque / Demand Draft No. (favoring ARCHI TIMES) Bank for Rs.

facebook.com/architimes.pk

PLEASE DISPATCH THIS FORM ALONG WITH YOUR PAYMENT TO ARCHI TIMES B-34, Block 15, Al-Raee Avenue, Behind National Stadium, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi-75300, Pakistan. Ph: +92 213 497 7652, Email: architimes@gmail.com, Web: www.archpresspk.com

ARCHI TIMES NOVEMBER 2018

NEWS

NEED STRESSED TO PROTECT CITY`S ISLANDS FROM BUILDERS

BY IMTIAZ ALI

Indigenous people, mostly fishermen living on various islands around Karachi are facing exclusion from livelihood, commercialisation, land grabbing and cultural extinction and there is a dire need to protect these islands as many of them have historical and archaeological importance, said historian Gul Hassan Kalmati. Delivering a talk at Café Sindh inside Burnes Garden organised by Sindhu Sabhita Sath, the historian pointed out that there were 30 to 32 islands in Karachi division. Out of them, people were living at 10 islands while four others were `seasonable islands` where fishermen go for fishing. Two other islands such as Churna and Ram Jharoka were basically `big rocks`. There were three islands in Karachi and one island in adjoining Thatta district with historical significance. Rest of them were basically `mangroves forests` while other islands like Younisabad, Bath Island, Keamari, Gizri, etc, were no more considered island. Mr Kalmati, who has recently written a book on islands of Karachi, stressed the need for protecting the islands from `greed` of builders which might trigger displacement of population. He apprehended that commercialisation might eclipse historical significance of some islands and suggested developing tourism there but hastened to add that it should not adversely affect livelihood of indigenous people as fishermen were already suffering from massive destruction of mangroves and blocking of their open routes to sea for fish catch by different institutions. Mr Kalmati said that builder mafiahad been trying to grab the islands near Karachi and many had already been occupied by powerful builders and land grabbers. Talking about Churna and Ram Jharoka, the local historian said that the same had tourist attractions. He pointed out that Ram Jharoka was said to have visited by Lord Rama after his victory and return from Ceylon and it was stated that he had also visited Ram Bagh, which is now called Aram Bagh in Karachi. He lamented that islands had `deliberately` been deprived of basic facilities of drinking water, health and education perhaps as a move to force islanders to shift other places. He cited the example of an island near Port Qasim where people travel in boats up to twothree hours to bring drinking water from Ibrahim Hyderi. He was also critical of the role of certain institutions, which allegedly had created problems for livelihood of fishermen in the name of security. The inhabitants were facing challenges of influence of militant religious groups, he claimed. Destruction of mangroves Talking about massive destruction of mangroves, the author said that many islands were covered with mangroves in the past, which served as source of fishes but the same were being destroyed. He underlined the importance of preserving the archaeological

remains, which were slowly submerging into the sea. He suggested that the Sindh government`s culture and archaeology department needed to preserve these islands. Many islands have disappeared into the sea and local population had to move particularly in Thatta and Badin districts due to sea intrusion and lack of fresh water from River Indus, he said. He regretted that local population had started moving from Manora island, the most developed and famous island, owing to poverty and attitude of certain institutions. Two major islands like Dingi and Bhandar were the main

attraction for developers and they had many times attempted to purchase the lands for their housing schemes, but due to resistance from the local population and political parties they did not succeed, he said. Mr Kalmati, whose another book about islandsof Thatta and Badin, was expected to be launched soon, said that there were estimated 100-150 islands in the both districts but many islands had either disappeared or were facing extinction due to seaintrusion. He said total17 creeks from River Indus were supplying fresh water to Arabian sea, which have now reduced to only two. The remaining 15 creeks are now ﬁlled with saline water of the sea.

He accused local influential landlords and political leaders of encroaching upon agriculture land and historic lakes. According to a research, around 2.4 million acres of the agriculture land in Indus delta has

been invaded by the sea and experts fear that if the sea intrusion prevails for some more time, the major towns of the coastal areas like Jati and Kharo Chhan will disappear into the sea, apprehended Mr Kalmati.

ARCH I TIMES NOVEMBER 2018

TALKING ARCHITECURE

WHAT LEGENDS

Shaukat Nawaz Raja Architect Shaukat Nawaz Raja is the principal architect of SNR Associate and the former president of the Institute of Architect Pakistan (IAP). In this exclusive interview, he tells ARCHI TIMES about his architecture and other issues related to the professional. ARCHITIMES (AT): Tell us about your early schooling, professional education?

AT: Was there a speciﬁc experience or person that inspired you to explore architecture professionally?

SHAUKAT NAWAZ RAJA (SNR): As I look back into my past, I recall how lucky I have been always have the best of schools and the best teachers. Firstly, my schooling at Lawrence College exposed me to an enviable environment, physical, social and academic. Mr. Naseer, our Math/Add Math teacher made wizards out of us and grooming us into rational, Cartesean minds whereas our Art/Handicraft teacher Mr. Hamid Saeed put soul into; Mr. Walter read Shakespeare, Hardy and Hemingway to us refining our expression and encouraging us to join the dramatics club. The campus, built 1855 onwards, as a balmy and therapeutic refuge for orphans is a strikingly typical "Gora-hill-town architecture" beautifully nestled amid the pine treetops of Murree. This town was itself a singularly well planned and beautiful example of City Planning and Architecture, (alas surviving as such only unto the sixties) with cafes lined along the Dahlia and Gladioli hemmed promenade known as The Mall, which looped around the Kashmir and Pindi points, again of English accent. We were all too well versant with dormer windows, pitched roofs dressed in shingle sitting on handsome timber trusses with diagonal bracing and king posts , wooden planking, casement windows etc. as much as we recognized dressed ashlars from random rubble. Our Science laboratories were well equipped and we had a good Science museum with one of the finest collections of butterflies and swallows. I would not quite like to recall the terrifying snakecollection nor the eerie graveyard in the midst of the campus... Philately was encouraged as were other hobbies and sport was compulsory. The cool weather and fresh environment ever inspired us to learn "to see" honing our senses of observation, sparking an eternal quest for creative learning. It was around this time that my father was building our house in our ancestral village in Murree quite in the same tradition as may have been assimilated by the local "Mistri". He adhered to the rain and snow friendly box-like and symmetrical roof plan with heptagonal corner rooms, deep verandahs lower in height than the main rooms allowing clerestory lighting and creating a play in its form. Again, materials were limited to stone, timber and G/I sheeting. I guess these were my first lessons in Architecture. At Gordon College, another purpose built campus, I was a student for just a year for my F.SC. Exams, I imbibed from the richness of intellect of Khawaja Masud Sahib, a beautiful mind. UET, I owe my training (for where it is good) to two distinct names: 1. A Burney, a sternly correct and organized disciplinarian… so was his architecture; and a spirited, effervescent, unconventional 'friend of a' teacher, Dr. Pervez Vandal, an admirable cherished friend to-date. With a distinction in Design, Thesis, and some other two subjects I awarded the Gold Medal, which helped me, secure a French Government scholarship for higher studies in Architecture. This was break, I was looking for and going to a non-Anglo-Saxon culture was a whiff of fresh air. I had new sources to

IIL ARCHITECT OF THE MONTH

ARE MADE OF

Sheikh Zayed Medical Complex, Quetta designed by SNR

INTERVIEW BY SUMERA BILGRAMI

The Lahore Master Plan shows an un-studied large blob, an ink-stain in its eastern part beyond the railway line, Lahore's sacrosanct Vatican? How can any study be coherent or purposeful where, to begin with, such a large population and area is amiss? Urban Planning is limited to the conversion of Agricultural land into plots and land-gobbling. As it continues Lahore will drain down to Sahiwal, hopefully, choke much earlier. Sadly, over the last 70 years, less than a score of serious buildings have surfaced, the most signiﬁcant being The Arts Council by Nayyar Ali Dada. Habib Fida Ali is unyielding in his principled concepts and his contributions to Lahore, The LUMS campus and the Sui Northern HO are to learn from. Having seen several "mid-sized trafﬁc" airports of the world such as Satolas, Djakarta, or Kansai, Singapore etc., I feel that in the Lahore International Airport we lost an opportunity.

Architect Shaukat Nawaz Raja is the principal architect of SNR Associates and the former president of the Institute of Architect Pakistan (IAP) passed away on November 13, 2018. In this exclusive interview to ARCHI TIMES, he talked about his architecture and other related issues of the profession. ARCHI TIMES paying tribute by publishing his interview in IIL Architect Series. ARCHI TIMES (AT): Tell us about your early schooling, professional education? Was there a specific experience or person that inspired you to explore architecture professionally? Shaukat Nawaz Raja (SNR): As I look back into my past, I recall how lucky I have been always having the best of schools and the best teachers. Firstly, my schooling at Lawrence College exposed me to an enviable environment, physical, social and academic. Mr. Naseer, our Math/Add Math teacher made wizards out of us and grooming us into rational, Cartesian minds whereas our Art/Handicraft teacher Mr. Hamid Saeed put soul into; Mr. Walter read Shakespeare, Hardy, and Hemingway to us refining our expression and encouraging us to join the dramatics club. The campus, built 1855 onwards, as a balmy and therapeutic refuge for orphans is a strikingly typical "Gora-hill-town architecture" beautifully nestled amid the pine treetops of Murree. This town was itself a singularly well planned and beautiful example of City Planning and Architecture, (alas surviving as such only unto the sixties) with cafes lined along the Dahlia and Gladioli hemmed promenade known as The Mall, which looped around the Kashmir and Pindi points, again of English accent. We were all too well versant with dormer windows, pitched roofs dressed in shingle sitting on handsome timber trusses with diagonal bracing and king posts, wooden planking, casement windows etc. as much as we recognized dressed ashlars from the random rubble. Our Science laboratories were well equipped and we had a good Science museum with one of the finest collections of butterflies and swallows. I would not quite like to recall the terrifying snakecollection nor the eerie graveyard in the midst of the campus... Philately was encouraged as were other hobbies and sport was compulsory. The cool weather and fresh environment ever inspired us to learn "to see" honing our senses of observation, sparking an eternal quest for creative learning. It was around this time that my father was building our house in our ancestral village in Murree quite in the same tradition as may have been assimilated by the local "Mistri". He adhered to the rain and snow friendly box-like and symmetrical roof plan with heptagonal corner rooms, deep verandahs lower in height than the main rooms allowing clerestory lighting and creating a play in its form. Again, materials were limited to stone, timber, and G/I sheeting. I guess these were my first lessons in Architecture. At Gordon College, another purpose-built campus, I was a student for just a year for my F.SC. Exams, I imbibed from the richness of intellect of Khawaja Masud Sahib, a beautiful mind. UET, I owe my training (for where it is good) to two distinct names: 1. A Burney, a sternly correct and organized disciplinarian… so was his architecture; and a spirited, effervescent, unconventional 'friend of a' teacher, Dr. Pervez Vandal, an admirable cherished friend to-date. With a distinction in Design, Thesis, and some other two subjects I awarded the Gold Medal, which helped me, secure a French Government scholarship for higher studies in Architecture. This was the break, I was looking for and going to a non-Anglo-Saxon culture was a whiff of fresh air. I had new sources to imbibe from and were it not for my eleven-year stay in France; I would be a different person and that too at a loss. I qualified for my 'maitrise de troisieme cycle'' in 1974 and graduated as 'Architecte Diplome par le Government' from the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Luminy. My teachers encouraged me to prepare for a 'Doctorat de Specialite' from the Institute of Regional Planning and I sat through two years of Ph.D. curricula focusing on Town Planning,

Eden Heights

At Gordon College, another purpose-built campus, I was a student for just a year for my F.SC. Exams, I imbibed from the richness of intellect of Khawaja Masud Sahib, a beautiful mind. UET, I owe my training (for where it is good) to two distinct names: 1. A Burney, a sternly correct and organized disciplinarian… so was his architecture; and a spirited, effervescent, unconventional 'friend of a' teacher, Dr. Pervez Vandal, an admirable cherished friend to-date. With a distinction in Design, Thesis, and some other two subjects I awarded the Gold Medal, which helped me, secure a French Government scholarship for higher studies in Architecture. This was the break, I was looking for and going to a non-Anglo-Saxon culture was a whiff of fresh air. I had new sources to imbibe from and were it not for my eleven-year stay in France; I would be a different person and that too at a loss. I qualified for my 'maitrise de troisieme cycle'' in 1974 and graduated as 'Architecte Diplome par le Government' from the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Luminy. My teachers encouraged me to prepare for a 'Doctorat de Specialite' from the Institute of Regional Planning and I sat through two years of Ph.D. curricula focusing on Town Planning, Urban Design, and Urban Renewal; the latter was to be the subject of my dissertation. Then in 1976, I participated in an Urban Renewal competition assisting Late Professor Georges Meyer-Heine, my mentor and family. We stood second but I offered handsome jobs and that was the end of my educational pursuits. I was at my very first appointment given the responsibility of the Chief of the office at Cabinet Marius Boyer and felt flattered. Then I posted to work with Louis Schneider's office at Paris where I retained my seniority, which raised a few eyebrows. My pencil did the talking and soon I made good friends. Louis Schneider was a great help and we did projects for Algeria, Venezuela, and Qatar etc. In 1981, during a trip to Pakistan, I lose my father and that ended my romance with Paris. I joined PEPAC as Principal Architect for two years and then became a partner with RIST Consultants. On the drawing board, this was a very productive era as we won competition after competition, notably, Library Block Command & Staff College, Quetta, National Academy Islamabad, Services Headquarters Complex Islamabad, Armed Forces Mess Rawalpindi, PIA planetarium Lahore etc. Yet my best project is Armed Forces Medical City where we stood second. This is because I brought together the expertise of all my previous offices together, Boyer, Schneider, PAPAC and RIST but we were unlucky. In 1988, I clipped all previous cords to start a new. SNR Associates is a small sized Consultancy firm working devotedly for the personal

ARCHI TIMES NOVEMBER 2018

IIL ARCHITECT OF THE MONTH

of a creative mind to address any issue. AT: What are your best projects and why? SNR: * The Ayub Teaching Hospital and the competition Project of Services Headquarters Complex (won by PEPAC/ RIST JV) were the two significant projects I designed on my return to Pakistan. Both projects involved Master Planning and Detailed Architecture Design and were large-scale exercises spread over hundreds of acres. I did not monitor their execution to the loss of the implementation of my design concepts. * Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad; Sheikh Khalifa Hospital, Quetta; International School Islamabad, are large projects which again entailed Master Planning and detailed Architecture, and top supervision; all ensured by SNR. They were enjoyable. Based on concepts addressing systems of working where fluency and efficiency in the circulation of people and services are foremost. Barely 15 years old, Shifa has already allowed adaptive re-usage, one of my current concerns, to account for changed requirements with ease and facility. * The Ashrafi Trust College, Sheikhupura planned to be built incrementally over ten years was an interesting challenge. To stand by decisions made years earlier and/or to allow change invites questions on the temporary nature of Architecture. It alludes to creating a lyrical impermanence as the project evolves. I strongly believe in the "opportunity of the site" and allow for changes (concerted, of course) even during the course of construction accommodating new prompting from the site. * Works done for Eden developers, matching Architectural aspirations with unyielding financial interest have been good brain teasers. All works designed by SNR, Eden Heights, Eden Towers, Eden Suburbs, Canal villas etc. have engaged a continuous dialogue with a serious Developers Group desirous and successful in providing a service to the middle and lower income groups. * In the residential sector, I have specifically enjoyed designing houses for four brothers involving them in the design process. Having different dreams, perceptions and family sizes resulted in radically differing solutions. The houses vary in style through the grammar and syntax, a stern attention to detail is quite the same. Each is proud of his creation. I am now doing their second set of houses; their vision broadened and I having marked time, the product is new where no style is forced. AT: How do you see Pakistani urban architecture? SNR: Like an explosion. However, I guess some rationality is bound to surface by default. Then there is hope they will sooner than later it will all be pulled down! Change is a basic law of nature besides time will sieve the good from the bad. The root cause of all such projects is that they lack basic directives. Then the 75-year-old building bye-laws are all adrift and do not focus where they should. There is the entire world as examples to learn from yet the authorities that be are oblivious to all. In addition, mind you so is the public, save Cowasjee or Arif, the lone fighters. AT: What do you think about Lahore's architecture & urban planning?

SNR: The Lahore Master Plan shows an un-studied large blob, an ink-stain in its eastern part beyond the railway line, Lahore's sacrosanct Vatican. How can any study be coherent or purposeful where, to begin with, such a large population and area is amiss? Urban Planning is limited to the conversion of Agricultural land into plots and land-gobbling. As it continues Lahore, will drain down to Sahiwal hopefully choke much earlier. Sadly, over the last 60 years, less than a score of serious buildings have surfaced, the most significant being the Arts Council by Nayyar. Habib is unyielding in his principled concepts and his contributions to Lahore, The LUMS campus and the Sui Northern HO are to learn from, having seen several "mid-sized traffic" airports of the world such as Satolas, Djakarta, or Kansai, Singapore etc., I feel that at the Lahore International Airport we lost an opportunity. AT: How would see the future of architecture in Pakistan, particularly in the context of the recent boom in high-rise construction? SNR: There is not yet any high rise in Pakistan. The mid-rise construction is rampant like in all parts of the third world and is a suitable answer to urbanization and densification provided suitably done. However, unlike the practice in the West where parking and infrastructure are shared in Commercial Districts, in Pakistan, the buildings sprout as isolated structures regardless of any Master Planning concerns. Look at the Main Boulevard or the MM Alam Road: Each Plaza has its solitary pristine entry and exit to basement parking and problems thereof and that too every 100 feet or so?!. A commonly practiced solution would be to devise an Area Plan for the entire strip with continuously shared basements allowing any sort of predetermined structures above ground. Regarding the buildings, we need to foremost of all reassess our prevalent security and safety regulations, bye-laws, construction exigencies etc. The tragedies of Islamabad do not have to happen again. We cannot be building twenty stories of RCC with 2-bag mixer machines and an open hose constantly pouring water and vibrators at will???? Yet the more important issue is that of infrastructure and services planning which need to be re-calibrated to the new population. Some 100 Plazas averaging about 300,000 sft each are foreseeable on the Main Boulevard in the next decade will tally over 30Million square feet warranting parking for 30,000 vehicles? May some good sense prevail! Moving on the roads is already a serious problem. It is regrettable that in 2008, Lahore, a 'city' of some 7 Million, the provincial capital, does not have any mass transit system. And the ring road is barely initiated. AT: What are your personal observations regarding the role of IAP and PCATP in promoting and save guarding architects interests and raising public awareness about architecture? SNR: The role of PCATP and the IAP is clearly defined and even pursued intermittently. In the eighties, one would have sought excuse by saying it's doing well in its post-infancy period, and perhaps it was leading on to 1994, ARCASIA, Lahore being the jewel in the crown. Since there seems to be a state of general apathy towards the development of institutions. However, some chapters of the IAP, Islamabad for one, are doing better perhaps being smaller and more knitted. The IAP is no match to the PEC and I fear, the

ARCHI TIMES NOVEMBER 2018

IIL ARCHITECT OF THE MONTH

ARCHI TIMES NOVEMBER 2018

NEWS

BRIGHTER FUTURE, TOGETHER

A JOURNEY OF DESIGNING & MANAGING SCHOOLS IN REMOTE AREAS OF SINDH

TEXT & PHOTOS: FAIZA LALWANI

“

Tharperkar, is known for its deserts, that is cautiously framed; the school opens up to a courtyard, with open to sky and the splash of color have been added via bold ceilings that adds vibrance to the wide corridors that holds up the play area right in the middle of the courtyard. The Schools has ten classrooms and a computer lab, a Chemistry Lab and library that spreads on to courtyard covered with bamboo blinds; the unique settings have been created to keep the students within a mix of interior rooms, exterior teaching areas, with terraced play areas for children.

“

Our journey with GCT started with conception of schools across the remote areas of Sindh, HPS, is a unit of Green Crescent Trust, an NGO that is working to provide subsidized education and its infrastructure to all the part of Sindh that it lacks, headed by Zahid Saeed; it has come a long way. Though they are currently operating a school and most of the young population attends; GCT has taken another leap and is now investing on purpose designed school via a vast network of donors. ASPL joined their hands as a strategic, Design and Management partner in 2013 to achieve valuable designed structure in low cost. Our ﬁrst ever school with GCT was in the Wangi Goth, the outskirt of Karachi, largely known for its crime rate now holds a purpose built designed school of 10,000 sq. ft.; the school plot was generous gift of a local dignity; designed with courtyard, skylights and light well the school caters to the need of light and air considering the lack of electricity. Hial Public School, Rehri Goth was initially just conceived for boundary wall considering the water channel going right next to the school site and rain water flooding; translated into a fullfledged school complex spread across the area; the school design encompasses play areas, courtyards and; This is the first ever fully functioning school in the vicinity, the school was inaugurated and appreciated by Naheed Memon, chairperson for Sindh Board of Investment. Conceived as a rebel to ongoing urban fabric, Hilal Public School, Mithi stands on a very dense area; the school design carefully relates to its context, with the amalgamation of two every important local material brick and concrete. Tharperkar, is known for its deserts, that is cautiously framed; the school opens up to a courtyard, with open to sky and the splash of color have been added via bold ceilings that adds vibrance to the wide corridors that holds up the play area right in the middle of the courtyard.

ARCHI TIMES NOVEMBER 2018

DESIGN COMPETITION

The Schools has ten classrooms and a computer lab, a Chemistry Lab and library that spreads on to courtyard covered with bamboo blinds; the unique settings have been created to keep the students within a mix of interior rooms, exterior teaching areas, with terraced play areas for children. In the classrooms, light from windows balances with the white interior with shading and natural ventilation is relied to maximum energy savings. The school was inaugurated by Governor of Sindh, Muhammad Zubair in March this year exactly three years after the ground breaking ceremony, which in itself was a heart touching ceremony; the children of the school prepared a spectacular performance dividing Thar into its three era and emphasizing on importance of each. Mehran Town, Korangi Campus is the latest constructed school, spread over Ground + 2 each floor plate is about 10,000 each floor, the school incorporates all previous learning and not only is based on passive technologies but also encompasses vision of incorporating solar panels. Despite, a very small floor area; the design is divided into two wings, there is sufficient light and two courtyards tucked in each wing, use of Jali Block is helping keep the rooms lit and airy. This is also the first school in GCTs banner and in the vicinity to have proper signage and art work installed; Inaugurated by Mr Jawed Akhai, Chairman of Martin Dow, who are also the donors of the school. There are many other schools in pipeline in areas like Tando Allah Yar, Khoski Badin. Our journey with all these credible organization and souls has been long, tiring and yet full of compassion; the most beautiful of it being the smile of school children who witnessed the construction of their future; there is nothing more beautiful.

ARCHI TIMES NOVEMBER 2018

NEWAGE CABLES ENGINEERS SERIES

A Q E E L UNDERSTANDING A H M E D ENGINEERING N A Q V I ECONOMICS BY: ANZALNA WAZIR PHOTOS BY VITAL ASSOCIATES

ARCHI TIMES (AT): Before we begin talking about your engineering, it would be good to know your educational background? Aqeel Ahmed Naqvi (AAN): I have completed my Secondary and Higher Secondary education from Hyderabad in the first division and then move to Karachi for my professional graduation. I have completed my graduation in 1996 in Electrical Engineering from NED University of Engineering & Technology Karachi. After the start of my professional career or you can say after starting of my job, I have kept continue my further studies and done Microsoft

Syed Aqeel Ahmed Naqvi is an Electrical Engineer. He is the CEO of Vital Associates established in 2007. He has numerous prestigious projects to his credit during his career which recognized nationally like MCB Tower Karachi, Unilever Head Oﬃce, Tabba Cardiology Hospital etc. and internationally like; The Onix, Reef Hotel Ajman, JVS Tower, Emirates Financial tower and etc. In this exclusive interview to ARCHI TIMES he discusses engineering related issues. MCB Tower, Karachi

ce rtified prof essi on a l (M CP) courses in 2000. I started my job in 1997 and Since from I am working as an electrical design engineer in the field. AT: Also, tell us about your professional career experience, it’s up and downs as you are working for so many years? AAN: I have started my career from a maintenance company then moved to a contracting company. After passing a few years in contracting company I realized that I am not made for this kind of job then I joined a Design Consulting firm Named Matrix Consultants where I learned a lot from my seniors and got chance to work on some prestigious projects of Pakistan along with my seniors like MCB

Tower, Tabba Cardiology Hospital, Dolmen Mall Hyderi, Dolmen Mall Clifton, Unilever Head Office etc. I have worked four years with Matrix Consultant and these four years were full of new experiences and knowledge!. Later on, I moved to Engineering Associates as a Senior Design Engineer and lead th e T e a m w h i c h i s d e s i g n i n g abroad based projects under the guidance of Mr. Javed Iqbal S i d d i q u i s u c h a s A l R a s h d an Tower, Ocean Heights. Emirates Financial Tower, The Onix, Reef Hotel Ajman, JVS Tower, Burj Dubai Plot 21 etc. etc. In 2009 I have started my own consultancy firm Named Vital Associates. Initially, it is really very diﬃcul t to get a project from the market but some of our architect firms and clients gave us opportunity

ARCHI TIMES NOVEMBER 2018

NEWAGE CABLES ENGINEERS SERIES

“

Our society functions on the services provided by Engineers whether it is the manufacturing of a machine, construction of buildings or infrastructure of the city. Whatever we are using in our daily life, from a needle to space shuttle is designed or prepared by an engineer. Development of technologies is not possible without Engineers. Nowadays electrical engineering is playing a key role in the development of our society. It is the responsibility of an engineer that they should propose designs should be according to the codes and regulations, energy eﬃcient, safe and secure from ﬁre and other hazards, user-friendly with excellent engineering economics. Aqeel Ahmed Naqvi

“

and support which helps us a lot and we have successfully completed our projects. Since then we have designed, top supervised and completed numerous prestigious projects in Pakistan like New Sindh Assembly Building, Shaheed Muhtarma Benazir Bhutto Emergency and Trauma Center Civil Hospital Karachi, Khaadi Outlets all over Pakistan, Engro Polymer & Chemical Head Oﬃce Karachi, Unilever Head Office Karachi, Tricon corporate tower Lahore, Askari Star Mall Karachi, Abdullah Sports Tower Hyderabad, Abraj Health Care Hospital in Lahore with many leading architects. We have also done some international projects from the platform of vital associates for UAE, KSA, Kenia, and Afghanistan.

AT: Was there a specific experience or person that inspired you to explore engineering professionally? A A N : In our era, options were limited! We either had Medical or Engineering to pursue as a career. My father is also an Electrical Engineer and automatically my inclination was towards the same field although he wanted me to become a Doctor I chose engineering. I want to mention one name here, Mr. Javed Iqbal Siddiqui Head of Electrical Department in engineering associates who guided and give me lots of knowledge and experience throughout my career and whatever I am today is because of him. He is a great teacher, great engineer and an extremely humble person.

Ocean Heights - Dubai

AT: What should be the role of the engineer in our society? AAN: Our society functions on the services provided by Engineers whether it is the manufacturing of a machine, construction of buildings or infrastructure of the city. Whatever we are using in our daily life, from a needle to space shuttle is designed or prepared by an engineer. Development of technologies is not possible without Engineers. Nowadays electrical engineering is playing a key role in the development of our society. It is the responsibility of an engineer that they should propose designs should be according to the codes and regulations, energy eﬃcient, safe and secure from fire and other hazards, user-friendly with excellent engineering economics.

AT: The role of engineer you have mentioned, do you think engineers are playing their role today? AAN: Engineers are playing their role up to some extent but there is definitely scope of improvement. With better opportunities and guidance they can take the society move forward in a more efficient manner. Engineers are doing wonders in the world! Unfortunately, in Pakistan, their part is not up to the mark because of the system! There is no strict vetting, documentation process with less inclination towards implementation of rules and regulations. Code and standards are ignored at times which should be prohibited at any cost. We need to have a proper check and balance system with no slack for

violation of laws. The authorities should devise such systems so we can also give our 100% to the country and our nation. AT: The government has levied huge taxes on the engineering firms, how it is effecting on the firms, and why not Pakistan Engineering Council raise this issue? AAN: We don’t have much acceptance of Engineers in our society! Due to these additional taxes, engineers have no choice but to raise the fee and clients are already not willing to pay much to them. They don’t understand that the taxes have made it diﬃcult for Engineers to run consultancy services. The truth is that we are not quoting high at all! This leads the client to a non-professional or someone who is willing to work at a

Emirate Financial Tower - Dubai

ARCHI TIMES NOVEMBER 2018

NEWAGE CABLES ENGINEERS SERIES otherwise we suggest the appropriate one. It needs to fulﬁll the requirement of the specific area and that is our priority. We do propose a lighting system and ﬁxtures in harmony with Architect or Client. We have worked with names like Habib Fida Ali Sahab and Arshad Shahid Abdulla.

Sindh Assembly Building

low cost with substandard work and they are not able to maintain the quality of services. The result is fire hazards, life-threatening situations as well as safety issues of the user and building. In our society, the rate of fire breakout is quite high which is due to not abiding by the codes and standards as non-professionals do not have adequate knowledge about them. It’s not only affecting the services but our environment too. PEC at the moment is not negotiating with the government which is the sorry state of affairs. It is concentrating more on the registration and certification of Engineers. It should be involved in legislation, implementation of check and balance. It should raise voice against issues damaging the fabric of the city at least to the extent of engineering. Unfortunately, it is not serving as a platform where such problems can be resolved.

AT: Kindly highlight the importance of the code of ethics in the engineering profession? AAN: We should follow a code of ethics in our daily life not only in the profession of engineering because they make our life secure, easier and safe. Unfortunately, we don’t give it much importance in Pakistan which is not the case abroad. They strictly follow and talk with reference to the code of ethics only. AT: How important is architectural lighting for the spatial environment while designing any project and what considerations you keep in mind? AAN: All areas have a set of requirements according to their function! Lighting design for an office is different from that of a

hospital or a shopping mall. We always trying to light design as per code, regulations and suggest to the Architects accordingly if required. A building without appropriate lighting is never a beautiful building! Its various characters are shown throughout the day and night because of lights.We tend to follow a thought process or scheme devised by the Architect because he has a certain vision regarding the project in mind. We coordinate with him and understand the concept or theme. If there is a point where we feel things can be improved then we guide him or suggest the kind of light preferable for this specific area. AT: To what degree is as a n elect rica l, mecha n ica l and plumbing engineer

input in the designing of the building? AAN: Without MEP services you can’t develop a functional, reliable and safe building! Therefore we give our 100% input in the design of all our projects. If a building doesn’t have proper or good MEP services then it will an ordinary building in terms of functionally, no matter how well planned it is. We discuss our requirements or distribution of services with the Architect and hold regular meetings to get it approved. AT: To what extent you propose ﬁxtures and lighting system with an architect /consultant? AAN: At times, Architects tell us which light they want to use, if it is according to the codes or regulation then we have no issue

MBB Emergency & Trauma Center - Civil Hospital, Karachi

AT: We have noticed whenever there is fire broke out in the buildings is due to electrical faults. What measures should be taken to prevent fire break and ensure building safety? AAN: We should install all the necessary equipment of fire and safety systems in the building according to the recommended building codes and regulations. They need to be implemented as well as functionally sound. Timely maintenance or check and balance as per system principal recommendations will also help in reducing the ratio of such incidents. We have to train our maintenance team and give them the proper tools to maintain these modern systems. Also, the user should also be given information about how to maintain the building and to what extent it can take electrical loads. A building can be constructed as ageless as possible but up gradation of services is always required so we need to eliminate this thought process that once a system is installed, it’s going to work for a lifetime! Sprinkler systems, Fire Alarms/extinguisher, availability of safety exits, trained team, evacuation plan and use of fireresistant materials are a few things that can help to save the building and people. There is an increased concept of ﬁre retardant materials, especially on the exit doors.

ARCHI TIMES NOVEMBER 2018

NEWAGE CABLES ENGINEERS SERIES AT: What are the considerations for building safety in terms of engineering design and what important tips you would like to give designers and public at large? AAN: Our first priority is to follow codes and regulations because they make our building safe and secure. We Use products of high quality and tend to design an energy efficient building. I would like to advise the designers or public to go for products that are worthwhile and doesn’t impose any kind of threat to the building. AT: What would you suggest measures to be considered for reducing electrical loads in buildings? AAN: We have an increased use of Led Lights and invertors because HVAC takes us more than half of the combined electrical load of the building. Sensor-based plumbing is also introduced like water taps etc which also reduces wastage. Always select quality product or equipment for the building which gives us optimize reduced electrical loads. AT: Have you had a chance to work in other countries, what differences do you see in approach to electrical design? AAN: Yes, I had a chance to work with the engineers of other countries. They are very keen to follow codes and regulations in their design. Our engineers are extremely hardworking but they have fewer opportunities and exposure than those working abroad. They have a strict system of check and balance. A building is not allowed to be occupied if the authorities don’t approve it to be safe and according to the

Tabba Cardiology Hospital, Karachi

codes or plan proposed. Proper vetting system can be observed there which is almost negligible over here in our country. We lack in the documentation of the building too. AT: Do you have a dream project – something you haven’t done yet in the context of electrical engineering? A A N : I wish to design an Airport! It’s a complex project that covers a variety of experiences and services. If I ever get a chance to do an airport design, that will be my dream come true AT: What is your opinion about the use of solar energy in buildings in general and houses in Pakistan visa vis cost of the project? AAN: The use of solar energy is very common in the world. We

are in that region of the world where we have the sun shining brightly throughout the year and we should make the most of it. The drawback is that we have reached the stage of the reverse process very recently where we can divert the extra energy to the government. It’s a good investment which will payback within 4 to 5 years. With the passage of time use of solar energy is increasing which is helping in producing energy efficient buildings for a better environment. AT: How do you feel about the standard of engineering education at our institutions? AAN: I think the standard of engineering education is not up to the mark. The gap between professionals in the field and institutions have increased which

shouldn’t be the case. There should be an interaction between students and professionals to the extent that it can help students decide which branch or sector they want to go into once they pass out. Internships and training sessions should be mandatory. Also, the faculty needs to be up to date with the interventions and technologies so they can pass the information to their students. We need to let our students know what actually the ground reality of the field is. Professionals should give lectures and guide our students about the potential of different branches of engineering. AT: Any message for young professionals? AAN: Whatever you are doing in your daily life or professional life, do it with

Abdullah Sports Tower, Hyderabad

honesty, responsibility and with professionalism. There is no shortcut in our ﬁeld and we need to accept the fact that nothing can be achieved overnight. Patience and constant learning is the key to success. AT: What are your comments on the starting of this NEWAGE Engineers Interview series? Do you think young professionals particularly students will be beneﬁtted? AAN: It’s a good initiative which will give recognition to the Professional Engineers and guidance to the young professional’s engineers. These are a lesson learned for new engineers that how they started, made efforts and succeeded during their journey of our senior Engineers.

ARCHI TIMES NOVEMBER 2018

INTERIOR DESIGN

6 TRAITS TO LOOK FOR IN A GOOD INTERIOR DESIGNER

BY: SOLMAZ REGI - CREATIVE HEAD RURALZ INC. - DESIGNING THE WORLD A general perception in public about interior designing is that it is only a thing for the elite. Well, in the much commercialized era that we live in, and fast digitalization and marketing shifts. With more powerful consumers and media exposure to its peak, the common man has started thinking differently. As they want to dress and impress like celebrities they want to live like one too. Living like a celebrity has much to do with your mind set. It can be minimalistic or lavish, yogi style or gypsy. It's merely a very personal thing and preference. Gone are the days where it almost felt like the designer will charge you for even talking to you. It's much more personalized now. Your budget and capacity lets you lever through the required domain. But you have to be careful in choosing the right person to get the job ﬁnished as required. Here are 6 traits you should absolutely see in your interior designer. 1. Understanding the Clients Esthetics? They should start with asking you many questions, yes that's a good thing the more they know about you the more they can execute accordingly. This is nothing to be annoyed about or feel confused or shy about because you think you don't know what to say. It's ok not to have answers. They have to ask, if they don't, there are long term consequences. The end result might just not satisfy you. This will also clear things between the two of you about where do they have to take over the thinking process. That's right, its exactly where you stop having answers. So expect all sorts of color references, your favorite this and that type questions. Theme related, how many people live in your space, who will use the space, purposes of design and much more to go with. Many interior designers might just hand you a good long thorough questionnaire

that will require you to sit and ﬁll it. What you should understand here, is that if they are asking they are concerned, if they are concerned they will do a good job. 2. Encourages you to be Realistic Are they educating you, or are they careless with handling your query and saying yes to it all? Realistic is an important word in any starting process that can have long lasting and successful effects. Many clients do not consider this while initially visiting an interior designer. Majorly about budget, time of execution and can do's. Usually people fall for the over enthusiastic sales talk. Some people also get annoyed or discouraged if truth be told to them. The kind of marketing and sales dominated world we live in, if someone actually starts telling you the bitter truth you should take a moment and think through it. Keep a keen ear, is your designer agreeing to everything you are saying irrespective of the practicality, cost factor and possibility or are they explaining to you the practical and alternative approaches. We call this educating the client. 3. Prioritizing Clients Personal Choice Ever human is distinct and so are their choices. As a client you have full right to have your premises done as per your needs and wants and not someone else's vision. The vision might be good in fact great but if you don't like it a hundred percent then no point. The interior designer should be able to read the clients taste, esthetics, body language and wants. By the end of the project they should be able to judge what you actually asked for. So don't hesitate to be opinionated. Be clear and open about every small thing, dislikes, small detailed inputs that might not be ﬁne with you in the long run. Communication is the key. The interior designer should be able to understand your esthetics and

make the best possible version of it according to the latest trends and market availabilities. 4. Giving Best Possible Suggestions Nothing should deprive a client from getting all the good suggestions and options, even if they cannot implement it due to any reason. Options should be provided, ideas should be shared, and market trends should be mentioned. No matter how small or big the idea is, an extra option always opens doors to new conversations, new thinking and hence more understanding of the both parties. On the client's part, they should not stop asking questions just because they think it's out of the context and on the interior designers part they should not stop suggesting better things or giving a worthy option because they think it's somehow out of the client's league. An interior designer must never underestimate the client and give them the best possible option within their own capability, choosing the options or not is the right of the client. 5. Work around the Client Budget Now after clearing all the

discussion barriers and that the client is clear about realistic budgets and goals. The main focus of the Interior designer should be finishing the job with all its final touches within the client's budget. Yes final touches are important. The major look depends on final touches, the art pieces, that unique center piece, the wall art, the final chandelier and in some cases the spot lights. Sometimes in the beginning of the work, the civil and electric changes take up a lot of budget and if planning is not right the budget can actually run out for the accessory phase. The interior designers plan ahead for such things. While you are not even thinking beyond cement and sand they have actually foreseen and finalized your art pieces. It's a complete package for interior designers, they cannot do half way of the work. Unlike what we usually do ourselves, after making the very basic changes we leave the rest for some other phase and time. This cannot happen once an interior designer takes up the job they need to give you a fully accessorized premise with in the settled budget. Keeps a Close tab on Execution There may be different scenarios where the Interior designer is

carrying out turnkey solutions or they are only working as a consultant. In both cases the Interior designer themselves have to be actively involved. No matter how many diagrams and 3D's it is only the creative eye that can check the process itself. Every nail counts every cut counts and every drill counts. Don't get us wrong the interior designer will not be there 24/7 but every process initialization and finalization needs their attention and supervision, this keeps a check on everything going the right direction and minimalizes mistakes and redoes. On an average, a visit every two to three days is a must if work keeps good pace. So if you're interior designer is taking interest in process and finishing, this is a plus one in the good traits. Now you know who to look for and what to look for in them. Do let us know if this read makes your selection easier and helps clear things in a better way. The writer is the Creative Head at Ruralz Inc. She is currently running an Interior Design firm and also is the Co-Founder of the platform Identity Pakistan - A Social Patriotic Initiative

ARCHI TIMES - November Issue.

Articles inside